The mission of the Department of Criminal Justice is to develop and disseminate knowledge about crime, criminal justice, deviance, and social organization through research, teaching, and service to the community. Grounded in the social sciences and governed by the College of Arts and Sciences of The University of Alabama, the department respects liberal values, encourages open-mindedness, and pursues in its programs both demographic and curricular diversity.

At the undergraduate level, the department's mission is to equip students to think critically about the causes and consequences of crime and deviance; about evolving issues in the field of criminal justice; about the potential of empirical research to help guide policy development; and about the role social organization plays in the development of knowledge. Students are introduced to both established and contemporary theory, to research skills, and to the requirements of practice in the field. It is the department's mission to properly prepare students to join the ranks of professionals working for the criminal justice system or in the social services. In addition, it is the mission of the department to prepare those who plan to obtain advanced degrees to gain admission to prominent social science and professional graduate programs around the country.

Requirements for the major. A written application for admission to the major must be approved by and filed with the Department of Criminal Justice. Acceptance requires at least 12 earned hours and a 2.25 or higher overall grade point average. The major in criminal justice requires 36 hours, including CJ 100, CJ 300, CJ 303, CJ 306, CJ 380, CJ 381, and six hours of CJ 395. A minimum of 12 hours at the 300 or 400 level must be earned on this campus. The 12 hours of criminal justice electives must be earned in courses other than CJ 395 and CJ 499. A grade of "C-" or higher is required in all criminal justice courses.

Requirements for the minor. A written application for admission to the minor must be approved by and filed with the Department of Criminal Justice. Acceptance requires at least 12 earned hours and a 2.25 or higher overall grade point average. The minor in criminal justice requires 21 hours, including CJ 100. A minimum of 12 hours of the 18 hours of criminal justice electives must be earned in courses other than CJ 395 and CJ 499. Six hours must be at the 400 level. A minimum of six hours at the 300 or 400 level must be earned on this campus. A grade of "C-" or higher is required in all criminal justice courses.

1MATH course number is determined by placement. MATH 110 or higher is required.
2A maximum of 6 hours in any one department may be applied to the humanities, literature, and fine arts (HU, L, FA) and history and social and behavioral sciences (HI, SB) requirements.
3Six hours in courses designated W must be included in the junior or senior year. A minimum of 36 hours in 300- and 400-level courses, including 15 hours in the major and 6 hours in the minor, must

Graduate programs. The Department of Criminal Justice offers programs leading to the master of science in criminal justice. Degree requirements are stated in the University of Alabama graduate catalog.